Canada Aids Antimicrobial Resistance Research Work

Health Canada also this month announced changes to the Food and Drug Regulations that will better protect Canadians against the risk of antimicrobial resistance by better controlling access to veterinary antimicrobial drugs for food-producing animals.

May 29, 2017

Saying "superbugs" are among the most significant health threats to Canadians and others around the world, the country's health minister, Jane Philpott, last week announced $1.39 million is being provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to support five research teams working to advance innovations in point-of-care diagnostics, with the goal of implementing the best diagnostic tools in health care settings and the right use of antibiotics.

The money is part of the investments the government of Canada has made in the past year on research to address the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

For example, Health Canada this month announced changes to the Food and Drug Regulations that will better protect Canadians against the risk of antimicrobial resistance by better controlling access to veterinary antimicrobial drugs for food-producing animals.

The government also has endorsed the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance and is working with provincial and territorial partners to finalize a Pan-Canadian Framework on Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Use in Canada. It will guide collective action in tackling AMR and identify opportunities for action under four pillars: surveillance, stewardship, infection prevention and control, and research and innovation.

"Addressing AMR requires sustained efforts across multiple sectors and organizations domestically and internationally. It is only through our collective actions, including this investment in diagnostic research, that we will make real progress in mitigating the threat of AMR," Philpott said. "The government of Canada is committed to ongoing collaboration with our partners and to taking action to ensure that antimicrobials will continue to be an effective tool in protecting the health of Canadians."

With no action, it is estimated that by 2050, annual worldwide human deaths attributable to AMR could reach 10 million, according to the agency.